Plot Transparency Changes Color

[pcedillo]

Hi all,

I am using Map 3D 2012.

When I print a figure with the plot transparency turned on, the gray colors (which are set at 0 tranparecy) prints in a blueish tint.  I am printing a set of figures, not all figures have transparent objects in it.  So I would prefer that all the figure all have a consistent color.  I don't want one figure to have a grey background, and another (showing the same background) having a blueish background.  The workaraound is to set all the figures to plot transparency, so that all of them will have a blueish tint, but not exactly what we want.  We would prefer grey to be grey.

Ideas anyone?

[ColeV]

hello! I'm Curious if you or anyone have found a solution to this, I am having this exact problem with C3D 2020.

2 layers with shades of grey used on a drawing, one layer needs to be transparent-grey(9) the other is non-transparent-grey(8)

when plot transparency is on, its just like you said, both grey layers print out with a noticeable blue tint, very weird 

[pendean]

What are you plotting to exactly? "blue tint" usually means you are running out of a specific ink color, or your screen needs adjusting (if PDF).

[ChicagoLooper]

Use a dedicated layer for your hatch. No other AutoCad entitties should reside on this 'dedicated' layer.

OPTION 1:

You can apply hatch to a LAYER by changing the default transparency from 0 to a higher number. Open the Layer Properties Manager and scroll to the right to find the 'Transparency' column. The value 0=opaque. The values 2 thru 90=transparency, the higher the number, then the greater the transparency. In image-1, the layers HATCH-1 thru HATCH-4 have a transparency level of 45.

Image-1.

OPTION 2:

You can apply transparency to your hatch on a hatch-by-hatch basis or during each execution of the HATCH command. If you use this method, you don't have give your hatch layer any transparency because the transparency is being applied by the command itself. See image-2.

Image-2.

OPTION 3:

As an alternative to Options 1 and 2 above, you may use a non-transparency hatch and make it appear as transparent. Doing it this way will avoid the the COLOR SHIFT normally associated with checking the Plot Transparency box during your Print Output. The ANSI31 hatch used in image-3 below is neither solid or transparent.

Image-3. OPTION 3: Non-transparent hatch that appears to be transparent.

To make ANSI31 hatch appear as transparent you can do this:

Image 4.

You can use trial-and-error to adjust the hatch layer's lineweight and the hatch scale in the Properties Palette. Thinner lineweight and bigger hatch scale will increase transparency while thicker lineweight and tighter hatch scale will decrease transparency.

The ANSI31 hatch pattern doesn't need to be super small scale, you can leave some 'space' between the diagonal lines because your print job, whether PDF or hardcopy, cannot handle the tightness of the hatch pattern. Even though a zoom using your monitor reveals the diagonal lines of the hatch pattern, the final print job will appear as though it's transparent. The inability of the printer to accommodate the scale and lineweight of the hatch pattern is what gives the hatch the illusion of being transparent.  

[ChicagoLooper]

Disregard, duplicate post.

[ColeV]

Plotting to paper 11x17  - I'm thinking its either Ink or a Printer driver issue

[ColeV]

Thanks for the detailed reply, I'm familiar with all of these techniques.. but this does not help me with the blue tint issue on paper prints

[aeldrawingoffice]

I've just had the same issue with a drawing that had 'Plot Transparency' ticked in plot setup.

When this option is ticked it plots one of our main colours "210" purple instead of the intended magenta.

This occurs if printed from either model or paperspace

If we un-tick 'Plot Transparency' then all is good.

I have not tested or taken notice of too many other colours.